Zimbabwe's parliament experienced an unexpected power cut during Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube's budget address, highlighting the deepening energy crisis in the country.
**Darkness Falls on Zimbabwe Parliament During Budget Speech**
**Darkness Falls on Zimbabwe Parliament During Budget Speech**
A power outage marred the budget presentation as the government grapples with a national energy crisis.
The government of Zimbabwe faced embarrassment when a sudden power outage plunged parliament into darkness moments before Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube concluded his budget speech. Key officials, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, were left in the dark, with opposition MPs seizing the opportunity to criticize the government's handling of the energy crisis, suggesting that the blackout served as a fitting metaphor for the nation's dire circumstances.
George Manyaya, representing the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa), clarified that the blackout was unplanned. He explained that parliament typically has a dedicated electricity supply exempt from outages; however, he attributed the blackout to a lightning strike. Prior to the lights going out, Ncube warned that the ongoing drought would result in a 15% contraction in the agricultural sector for the year but optimistically projected a 6% economic growth for the next year due to expected above-average rainfall, which could alleviate some of the power supply issues tied to the Kariba Dam, the nation's primary source of energy.
As Zimbabwe navigates these challenges, the incident in parliament serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for improved infrastructure and stability within the power sector.
George Manyaya, representing the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa), clarified that the blackout was unplanned. He explained that parliament typically has a dedicated electricity supply exempt from outages; however, he attributed the blackout to a lightning strike. Prior to the lights going out, Ncube warned that the ongoing drought would result in a 15% contraction in the agricultural sector for the year but optimistically projected a 6% economic growth for the next year due to expected above-average rainfall, which could alleviate some of the power supply issues tied to the Kariba Dam, the nation's primary source of energy.
As Zimbabwe navigates these challenges, the incident in parliament serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for improved infrastructure and stability within the power sector.
